| |
| |
|
Careers & Employment Information |
|
|
|
Mid-Life Crisis: Its Not Just for Men Anymore!
A recent story in Career Journal begins: "The "midlife crisis" has long been thought of as something that afflicts men and often involves expensive toys and second wives. But the Wall Street Journal's Work & Family columnist, Sue Shellenbarger, says that as gender roles change, women are increasingly experiencing their own version of these upheavals." I've certainly seen evidence of this in my own work as a personal development and business coach. My practice is comprised primarily of women and although it tends to be my male clients who volunteer the term "mid-life crisis". When describing their current state, however, the women are certainly running a parallel course. What constitutes a crisis? For many, it appears to be a realization that life is finite. The older we get, the more we are apt to say, "Wow, this summer FLEW by!" "Where did the month go?!" And then friends start to lose parents. I personally know of 35 deaths this year! Two of my clients have lost parents just this week. At some point the awareness dawns on you. It's not the month or the season that is flying by. It's your LIFE! What do you do with that realization? The Chinese symbol for "crisis" combining "danger" and "opportunity" could not be more appropriate. The fact that many people at mid-life have accumulated the skills, financial cushion and talent to make true consideration of career and life style changes possible is exhilarating and terrifying at the same time. The trickiest part for both the men and the women that I have spoken with appears to be in making the distinction between a "risk" and a "gamble". How can you tell the difference? Simply stated, a risk is calculated. You know you could lose, but you are able to take an educated guess as to what is at stake and how the loss could impact you. Having a "worst case scenario" in mind helps you to know what kind of safety net needs to be in place in order to make a mid-life transition possible. Analysis of the situation with a confidante or coach also helps an individual differentiate between psychological "heebie jeebies" and rational fears that need to be taken into consideration. Very difficult questions are faced directly and no actions are taken until careful consideration of the answers. What if I do lose my job? Could we still survive? What if my new business fails? How bad would it be if we did have to sell our home? Will my family allow for a change of lifestyle in order for me to try to make my dream come true? A gamble, on the other hand is impulsive and often based on emotional needs rather than logical analysis of a situation leaving one vulnerable to losing more than one can afford. Unfortunately we have some cultural beliefs that can seduce people into taking leaps that they can ill afford. "Build it and they will come" is a common mantra in this set. Can you always know what is a gamble and what is a risk? This is a hard one for people who are facing significant burn out and who have begun to feel desperate in their circumstances. Many times I have listened to people fantasize about the choice words they will use when they quit their job. (I was one, myself!). Some people are so afraid that they won't get family support to make a big change that they try to do it with no one noticing. As a result, they avoid difficult conversations about needed changes in family spending habits to build a cushion or anticipated changes in roles to allow for a return to school. The key is to recognize burn out and desperation before it becomes intolerable and to pay attention to that little voice that keeps whispering in your ear that maybe there is a different road you should be on. If it's too late, and you don't feel like you can stand your situation any longer, it's critical to take your self care seriously and implement some stress management strategies to help you get your focus back so you can lay a solid foundation for what could be one of the most interesting and exciting chapters of your life. Laura Young is a personal development and business coach. She is a contributing author to A Guide to Getting It: Purpose and Passion and Become Your Own Great and Powerful: A Woman's Guide to Leading a Real, Big Life. She has recently been featured on By, For and About Women and Artists First Radio. To learn more about her, visit http://www.wellspringcoaching.com To visit Laura's blog, visit http://antwatching.blogspot.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Careers-Employment - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Continuing Professional Development Continuing professional development (CPD) is promoted by the CIPD to support the systematic development and accreditation of its members. The aim is that the continuing search to improve knowledge and skills through exposure to new experiences benefits both the individual and the business. How To Establish Trust, Credibility and Enthusiasm To Your Interviewer If you use your voice to get attention, you use your eyes to hold attention. People tend to believe you, trust you, and listen to what you say if you are looking at them. Why You Should Never Complain About Former Bosses You're at a job interview. You're doing great, answering questions left and right. Self-Knowledge: The Key To Finding The Right Career Direction Your career, like any journey, has a beginning, an end and a direction. For many people, the present direction of the career is probably not a result of entirely their own choices. Your First Job "Your first job is an extension of your education"Fresh out of college. Loads of dreams. Can You Tell Me Something About Yourself! Interview Question, "Tell Me Something About Yourself?""Tell me about yourself" is the query, posted by one of the members and since yesterday I happen to go through many responses. I was just thinking?to give my opinion about the same. Job Hunting Tips: Accepting Judgment Applying for work is stressful, no matter the circumstances. Even if you are already working, and merely looking to see what else is out there, you still want to be offered the position. How To Get Promoted - Take Control Of Your Destiny! It Is Up To YouSo, you want to get promoted. The possibility really lies in your own hands. Find Free Resumes Online Have you been spending money on countless job boards, only to find that they don't offer the types of candidates you need? If the answer is yes, don't fret any longer, you're about to learn crafty techniques to help you find free resumes on the net. There are numerous free resources online that offer resumes. Interview Preparation The dreaded job interview is the Number 1 source of email enquiries to Confidence Club. The following email is typical:"I have an interview coming up and I'm terrified! I have to do a presentation in front of a panel of judges, and I just know I'm going to make a fool of myself"Interviews generate immense levels of anxiety. When All Is Not Well With Work When all is not well with work, what do you do? Do you quickly get frustrated and feel discontent? Do you look at each situation as a tiresome challenge or as an opportunity to learn something new? Have you ever considered looking at work problems from a spiritual point of view?When you look at work from a spiritual perspective, you will see that there are lessons for you to learn. Let's look at a couple of situations that you or someone you know may have encountered. Moving From A Weekend Hobby To Career In The Arts Building a career as an artist takes hard work. Because the field attracts so many talented people, jobs in this field remain competitive. You Can Identify a Problem Solver As an executive recruiter, I interview a lot of people. And while most candidates find a way to look good on paper, their resumes don't always reveal how good of a problem solver they are. College Labor is Available in Ohio Ohio has always been big on education and that means a bright, energetic and reliable workforce for expanding businesses. A business which wants to expand its number of outlets should be looking strongly at the Ohio market place as there are many very strong and economically viable areas to do business. How You Can Find Freelance Writing Employment How can you find writing jobs? Do you have proven skills that can propel you in the right direction? If so, then why are you looking for fresh vacancies? The best tool to those who have employment histories is to look to the companies that you have already worked for. There, they can help provide you with more work, or point you in the right direction. How To Survive A Job Loss Has this ever happened to you: You have been working at a particular job for a few years. It's not the greatest job and it hasn't always allowed you to capitalize on your unique gifts or talents. Build New Habits -- Payday Will Come -- Feeling that it never works is not a good excuse. You may even remember last year not getting past February. Children At Work: Looking at Child Labor in the Victorian Age Today, it isn't that uncommon for some children and teenagers to work. They may earn extra money by baby-sitting, doing yard work, or maybe even walking dogs. How To Find A Job As A Copy Editor Jobs for copy editors may seem like they are hard to find, but really you can find them and you can do so with many of the qualifications you already have. But, if you do not have any qualifications, this may be the first step in finding the copyediting job that you have been looking for. 18 Career Enhancement Caveats Core value investing in your careerMany people walk through their lives never, ever being better at something than anyone else. What is it that you know or do better than almost anyone else in the world? What is it that you do uniquely well? Do your core values for yourself and your family fit with what you are doing, where you are putting your energy, what you are developing, and where you are focusing/immersing yourself?In your career, as well as in your life, to achieve full capacity and happiness, all of you must be going in the same direction.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |